1Chronicles 23:1 ¶ So when David was old and full of days, he made Solomon his son king over Israel.
1Chronicles 23:2 And he gathered together all the princes of Israel, with the priests and the Levites.
David was at the end of his life when he made Solomon king over Israel. He gathered together all the leaders of Israel along with the priests and Levites. The Chronicler includes no record of Adonijah’s attempt to take the throne.
I would presume this to be saying that we are about to read in the rest of this record all that David did in preparation for Solomon becoming king. He wanted to have everything organized and ready for implementation upon the completion of construction of the temple.
1Chronicles 23:3 Now the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years and upward: and their number by their polls, man by man, was thirty and eight thousand.
1Chronicles 23:4 Of which, twenty and four thousand were to set forward the work of the house of the LORD; and six thousand were officers and judges:
1Chronicles 23:5 Moreover four thousand were porters; and four thousand praised the LORD with the instruments which I made, said David, to praise therewith.
They counted the number of Levite men from the age of 30 and older, and the total came to 38,000. They were assigned work in the temple as follows:
24,000 were assigned to do the work required in maintaining the temple
6,000 were officers and judges – Guzik notes: “Governmental records, decisions, and administration were all in the hands of the Levites.”
4,000 were porters – These men controlled entrance to the temple.
4,000 were musicians
It’s interesting to note that David is credited with making the instruments that the Levites would use.
1Chronicles 23:6 And David divided them into courses among the sons of Levi, namely, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
David separated the sons of Levi into three groups according to their families as descended from Gershon, Kohath and Merari.
1Chronicles 23:7 Of the Gershonites were, Laadan, and Shimei.
1Chronicles 23:8 The sons of Laadan; the chief was Jehiel, and Zetham, and Joel, three.
1Chronicles 23:9 The sons of Shimei; Shelomith, and Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the chief of the fathers of Laadan.
1Chronicles 23:10 And the sons of Shimei were, Jahath, Zina, and Jeush, and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei.
1Chronicles 23:11 And Jahath was the chief, and Zizah the second: but Jeush and Beriah had not many sons; therefore they were in one reckoning, according to their father’s house.
This section lists the leaders among the Gershonites according to their lineage.
1Chronicles 23:12 The sons of Kohath; Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four.
1Chronicles 23:13 The sons of Amram; Aaron and Moses: and Aaron was separated, that he should sanctify the most holy things, he and his sons for ever, to burn incense before the LORD, to minister unto him, and to bless in his name for ever.
1Chronicles 23:14 Now concerning Moses the man of God, his sons were named of the tribe of Levi.
1Chronicles 23:15 The sons of Moses were, Gershom, and Eliezer.
1Chronicles 23:16 Of the sons of Gershom, Shebuel was the chief.
1Chronicles 23:17 And the sons of Eliezer were, Rehabiah the chief. And Eliezer had none other sons; but the sons of Rehabiah were very many.
1Chronicles 23:18 Of the sons of Izhar; Shelomith the chief.
1Chronicles 23:19 Of the sons of Hebron; Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.
1Chronicles 23:20 Of the sons of Uzziel; Michah the first, and Jesiah the second.
This section lists the leaders among the descendants of Kohath according to their lineage. It is noted that this was the family to which Moses and Aaron belonged. It is also noted that Aaron and his sons were singled out to serve as priests before the LORD. The priests had a special responsibility to maintain purity and holiness in service before the LORD as they represented Him to the people and vice versa.
1Chronicles 23:21 The sons of Merari; Mahli, and Mushi. The sons of Mahli; Eleazar, and Kish.
1Chronicles 23:22 And Eleazar died, and had no sons, but daughters: and their brethren the sons of Kish took them.
1Chronicles 23:23 The sons of Mushi; Mahli, and Eder, and Jeremoth, three.
This section lists the leaders among the descendants of Merari according to their lineage.
1Chronicles 23:24 ¶ These were the sons of Levi after the house of their fathers; even the chief of the fathers, as they were counted by number of names by their polls, that did the work for the service of the house of the LORD, from the age of twenty years and upward.
1Chronicles 23:25 For David said, The LORD God of Israel hath given rest unto his people, that they may dwell in Jerusalem for ever:
1Chronicles 23:26 And also unto the Levites; they shall no more carry the tabernacle, nor any vessels of it for the service thereof.
The wording here is a bit confusing to me. The reference here is to the number of Levites that were age 20 and older; prior verses reference those 30 and older.
David declared that since the LORD God of Israel had given his people rest in their own land, the Levities were no longer needed to serve in the transport of the tabernacle and its vessels.
1Chronicles 23:27 For by the last words of David the Levites were numbered from twenty years old and above:
1Chronicles 23:28 Because their office was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the LORD, in the courts, and in the chambers, and in the purifying of all holy things, and the work of the service of the house of God;
1Chronicles 23:29 Both for the shewbread, and for the fine flour for meat offering, and for the unleavened cakes, and for that which is baked in the pan, and for that which is fried, and for all manner of measure and size;
1Chronicles 23:30 And to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD, and likewise at even;
1Chronicles 23:31 And to offer all burnt sacrifices unto the LORD in the sabbaths, in the new moons, and on the set feasts, by number, according to the order commanded unto them, continually before the LORD:
This section sheds light on the above verses; it seems to indicate that David ordered a new numbering of those that were 20 years and older. Their duties were to serve the priests, the sons of Aaron, in purifying all the holy things and performing the required ongoing work that was part of temple service. They were in charge of baking the showbread, preparing the meat offerings and offering thanks and praise to the LORD both at the morning and evening sacrifices. They were to assist as required as the priests made burnt offerings for the Sabbaths and during the new moon and feasts as designated by the LORD.
1Chronicles 23:32 And that they should keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge of the holy place, and the charge of the sons of Aaron their brethren, in the service of the house of the LORD.
Several commentators make a connection with this verse and Numbers 18, declaring it to emphasize that the Levites were to serve the priests as detailed under God’s established instructions concerning the specific functions of priest and their Levite helpers.
Numbers 18:1–6 “And the LORD said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons and thy father’s house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary: and thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood. And thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou with thee, that they may be joined unto thee, and minister unto thee: but thou and thy sons with thee shall minister before the tabernacle of witness. And they shall keep thy charge, and the charge of all the tabernacle: only they shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, that neither they, nor ye also, die. And they shall be joined unto thee, and keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, for all the service of the tabernacle: and a stranger shall not come nigh unto you. And ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar: that there be no wrath any more upon the children of Israel. And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you they are given as a gift for the LORD, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.”
1Chronicles 24:1 ¶ Now these are the divisions of the sons of Aaron. The sons of Aaron; Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
1Chronicles 24:2 But Nadab and Abihu died before their father, and had no children: therefore Eleazar and Ithamar executed the priest’s office.
This chapter opens with a focus on the divisions or courses of the priesthood as descended from the sons of Aaron. It is noted that Nadab and Abihu, the two sons that were killed for offering strange fire at the tabernacle, had no children. Eleazar and Ithamar were the two sons that took the place of their brothers in serving with their father Aaron
1Chronicles 24:3 And David distributed them, both Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, according to their offices in their service.
1Chronicles 24:4 And there were more chief men found of the sons of Eleazar than of the sons of Ithamar; and thus were they divided. Among the sons of Eleazar there were sixteen chief men of the house of their fathers, and eight among the sons of Ithamar according to the house of their fathers.
1Chronicles 24:5 Thus were they divided by lot, one sort with another; for the governors of the sanctuary, and governors of the house of God, were of the sons of Eleazar, and of the sons of Ithamar.
David proceeded to organize the priests into 24 divisions. The high priests representing the two families were Zadok, representing Eleazar, and Ahimelech, representing Ithamar. Eleazar’s family was larger and produced twice as many leaders as the family of Ithamar—16 to 8 respectively. Assignments were determined by lot.
1Chronicles 24:6 And Shemaiah the son of Nethaneel the scribe, one of the Levites, wrote them before the king, and the princes, and Zadok the priest, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, and before the chief of the fathers of the priests and Levites: one principal household being taken for Eleazar, and one taken for Ithamar.
Shemaiah, son of Nethaneel the scribe, a Levite, recorded the list by lot in the witness of the king, recognized leaders, Zadok the priest, Ahimelech the son of Abiathar and the recognized leaders among the priests and Levites. Lots were cast by alternating between the two families, leaving Eleazar’s family with the last eight.
The IVP Commentary offers this insight on the position of scribe: “Scribes in the ancient world were the accountants, the historians, the journalists, the personal secretaries, the tutors and the librarians of their day. Much of a scribe’s training involved language and writing, and his apprenticeship would give him additional specialized skills.”
The following verses identify the priests by lot.
1Chronicles 24:7 Now the first lot came forth to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah,
1Chronicles 24:8 The third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim,
1Chronicles 24:9 The fifth to Malchijah, the sixth to Mijamin,
1Chronicles 24:10 The seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah,
1Chronicles 24:11 The ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to Shecaniah,
1Chronicles 24:12 The eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jakim,
1Chronicles 24:13 The thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebeab,
1Chronicles 24:14 The fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer,
1Chronicles 24:15 The seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Aphses,
1Chronicles 24:16 The nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth to Jehezekel,
1Chronicles 24:17 The one and twentieth to Jachin, the two and twentieth to Gamul,
1Chronicles 24:18 The three and twentieth to Delaiah, the four and twentieth to Maaziah.
1Chronicles 24:19 These were the orderings of them in their service to come into the house of the LORD, according to their manner, under Aaron their father, as the LORD God of Israel had commanded him.
This verse summarizes that the preceding list identified the order in which these sons of Aaron would serve in the house of the LORD as commanded by the LORD God of Israel.
The NIV Commentary provides interesting information concerning these divisions: “With the passage of time, some of the Davidic courses died out or had to be consolidated with others, and new ones were formed to take their places. At the first return from exile in 537 B.C., only four courses were registered….By 520 twenty-two were again operative (Ne 12:1-7), but only half of them were the courses as originally organized by David.
Jehoiarib (v. 7), who received the first assignment, headed the course that later produced the Maccabees (1Macc 2:1; 14:29). The seventh course, of Hakkoz (v. 10), is documented down into the days of the Maccabees (1Macc 8:17). The eighth, Abijah, was the one under which Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, performed his priestly ministry (Lk 1:5).”
The rest of the Levites were also divided into 24 divisions to serve on a rotating basis at the house of the LORD.
1Chronicles 24:20 ¶ And the rest of the sons of Levi were these: Of the sons of Amram; Shubael: of the sons of Shubael; Jehdeiah.
1Chronicles 24:21 Concerning Rehabiah: of the sons of Rehabiah, the first was Isshiah.
1Chronicles 24:22 Of the Izharites; Shelomoth: of the sons of Shelomoth; Jahath.
1Chronicles 24:23 And the sons of Hebron; Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, Jekameam the fourth.
1Chronicles 24:24 Of the sons of Uzziel; Michah: of the sons of Michah; Shamir.
1Chronicles 24:25 The brother of Michah was Isshiah: of the sons of Isshiah; Zechariah.
1Chronicles 24:26 The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi: the sons of Jaaziah; Beno.
1Chronicles 24:27 The sons of Merari by Jaaziah; Beno, and Shoham, and Zaccur, and Ibri.
1Chronicles 24:28 Of Mahli came Eleazar, who had no sons.
1Chronicles 24:29 Concerning Kish: the son of Kish was Jerahmeel.
1Chronicles 24:30 The sons also of Mushi; Mahli, and Eder, and Jerimoth. These were the sons of the Levites after the house of their fathers.
1Chronicles 24:31 These likewise cast lots over against their brethren the sons of Aaron in the presence of David the king, and Zadok, and Ahimelech, and the chief of the fathers of the priests and Levites, even the principal fathers over against their younger brethren.
The lots were cast for these divisions to determine who would serve with the corresponding group of priests by lot. This was also witnessed by King David, Zadok, Ahimelech, and the recognized leaders of the priests and Levites.
I think we should remember that David’s actions were guided by the pattern or model that had been revealed to him by the Spirit.
1 Chronicles 28:11–13 “Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch, and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper chambers thereof, and of the inner parlours thereof, and of the place of the mercy seat, And the pattern of all that he had by the spirit, of the courts of the house of the LORD, and of all the chambers round about, of the treasuries of the house of God, and of the treasuries of the dedicated things: Also for the courses of the priests and the Levites….”